RIVERSIDE, Calif.—With just seven games remaining in the regular season the UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team is poised to make the push to the Big West Conference Tournament. This weekend, the Highlanders will look to add another pair of wins in the conference column as the team is set to host UC Santa Barbara Thursday Night before heading to Hawaii for a Saturday night matchup.
The battle with the Gauchos at the SRC Arena marks the annual Play-for-Kay Pink Game in support of breast cancer awareness and research. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free pink Highlander t-shirt.
1K WATCH
All eyes will be on junior Dikymbe Martin this week as the guard is just 13 points away from hitting 1,000 in his career. Martin has scored 13+ in 18 of the team's 25 games this year.
ONE FOR THE BOOKS
UCR's 74-51 victory over Cal Poly (1/23) was the program's largest margin of victory in Big West Conference play. The Highlanders outscored the Mustangs 39-19 in the second half holding Cal Poly to .250 shooting.
THE FIRST OF MANY
First year Head Coach David Patrick earned his first Big West Conference win on January, 26th as the Highlanders topped 3rd place Hawaii 75-71. UCR made a total of 13 threes, shot .537 from the field, and collected a record tying 26 assists (vs NCAA Team - DI Era).
FROM DOWNTOWN
The Highlanders have found success from behind the arc this season as their .370 3pt shooting percentage leads Big West and 11 different student-athletes have hit from deep. The team's 213 threes this year also leads the conference.
Sophomore Ajani Kennedy currently leads the Big West in 3pt % shooting .473. Freshman Dragan Ekaz ranks 5th shooting .438 and junior Dikymbe Martin sits in 6th at .433. Elkaz also ranks 5th with 53 made.
DRAGAN FROM DEEP
Freshman guard Dragan Elkaz has already made his presence felt in his first season as a Highlander hitting 53 threes and shooting .444 from behind the arc.
The Aussie native led UCR to its first conference win of the season tying the DI three point record with 7 on his way to a career-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting. He also added 4 assists and two rebounds.
BREAKING RECORDS
The Highlanders have tied or broken several Division I program records already this season..
Points: 112 (vs Bethesda 1/4)
Assists: 31 (vs Bethesda 1/4)
T-Assists vs NCAA Team: 26 (vs Hawaii 1/19)
Turnovers: 3 (vs Bethesda 1/4)
Field Goals: 45 (vs Bethesda 1/4)
T-Indiv 3pts: 7 - Dragan Elkaz (vs Hawaii 1/19)
Largest Conference Win - +23 (at Cal Poly 1/23)
ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Junior guard Dikymbe Martin was named to the All-Tournament Team the Thanksgiving Tiger Tournament as he averaged 15 ppg shooting an efficient .429 from the field. His best scoring night came in the first game of the tourney vs Pacific where he dropped 20.
THE DAVID PATRICK ERA
The 2018-19 season is set to be a historic one as first-year Head Coach David Patrick will be at the helm. Coach Patrick takes over Highlanders Hoops with an impressive resume that features stints at Saint Mary's, LSU, and TCU. Patrick was welcomed to the program in early April.
THE MELTING POT
This year's team is a mix of new student-athletes and returners, some recruited by the current coaching staff and others brought in before the staff's arrival, but you would never know it the way these Highlanders have come together in the preseason. They are truly embracing the team's motto: Run as One.
Here is what Coach Patrick had to say on the matter...
"These are all our guys. The returners and the new guys know that and nobody feels like they're on an island," Patrick said. "We brought everyone in early and I think that gave us an advantage, because they all got a chance to gel and bond as a team."
OTHER COACH PATRICK QUOTES
On the journey from day one to game one...
"Since our first practice together they have gotten better day by day and have really answered what our coaching staff has asked them for," said Patrick. "The main thing is their attitudes have been great and they have bought in to what we've sold them, which is trying to be in the best shape they can be, being as mentally and physically tough as they can be, and holding themselves accountable. They have done that from day one."
On new coaching staff...
"Our coaches are great mix of guys with no egos," Patrick explained. "When it came time to start thinking about our staff I made an effort to pick experienced leaders who don't think anything is beneath them. They're all willing to roll up their sleeves, work hard, and wear many hats if we need them to and they have done a great job with that."
On Dikymbe Martin...
"I've really been impressed with DK so far," Patrick said. "We know he has the ability to score, but he has also been open to us changing his role in needing him to defend and rebound better. He has really bought in, which is great because change is always hard when you're used to scoring a lot of points."
On Menno Dijkstra returning...
"Right now Menno is in the best shape he has been in here and is skilled both inside and from the perimeter," Patrick said.
THE BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The Big West Conference Tournament is set for the weekend of Thursday March 14th - Sunday March 17th. The winner of the tournament gets automatic entrance to the NCAA Tournament.
Last year, the Highlanders battled at the end of the conference season under Interim Head Coach and UCR Alumnus Justin Bell to make to the Big West Tournament and nearly knocked off the No. 1 seed in UC Davis. The Aggies edged out the Highlanders 70-66.
